A planned mixed-use development from Frank Gehry and located on Sunset Boulevard will be moving forward after the Planning and Land Use Management Committee voted unanimously to approve the plans.
As the Los Angeles Times reports, however, a few compromises were required before the project could move forward. As it stands now, the project consists of two residential towers comprising 229 units (38 of which are for low-income residents), 65,000 sf of commercial space, and a pedestrian plaza. The project arrived at these numbers after the area’s councilman, David Ryu, said he would not support the development unless the 15-story residential tower was downsized, included more affordable housing units, and had additional parking spots added.
All of these conditions were met causing the tower to shrink from 234 feet to 178 feet, the number of parking spots to increase to 494, and the sidewalks to widened to 15 feet.
Even with the compromises, including the smaller size that makes the new tower more in line with the height of surrounding buildings, some neighboring residents are expressing a bout of NIMBYism. They believe the development will still be out of scale with the surrounding area, will ruin their views, and may produce heavy traffic in the area due to all of the new residents. Despite their concerns, the scaled-back project is moving forward.
Related Stories
Smart Buildings | May 28, 2015
4 ways cold-climate cities can make the most of their waterfronts
Though cold-climate cities pose a unique challenge for waterfront development, with effective planning waterfront cities with freezing winter months can still take advantage of the spaces year-round.
Sponsored | Coatings | May 14, 2015
Prismatic coatings accent the new Altara Center
This multi-use campus will contain a university, sports facilities, medical center, and world-class shopping
Mixed-Use | May 10, 2015
Construction on Orlando’s massive ‘innovation hub’ is finally starting
The $1 billion Creative Village development will create a business and education hub.
High-rise Construction | May 6, 2015
Two new designs submitted for New York City Riverside Center
Both designs reference the cantilevers and other elements featured in architect Christian de Portzamparc’s original masterplan for the complex, which has now been scrapped.
Building Owners | May 6, 2015
Hackathons and RFCs: Why one developer killed the RFP
In lieu of an RFP process, Skanska Commercial Development hosted a three-week "hackathon" to find an architect for its 2&U tower in Seattle.
Mixed-Use | May 5, 2015
Miami ‘innovation district’ will have 6.5 million sf of dense, walkable space
Designing a neighborhood from the ground-up, developers aim to create a dense, walkable district that fulfills what is lacking from Miami’s current auto-dependent layout.
Hotel Facilities | Apr 30, 2015
Atlanta Braves partner with Omni Hotels & Resorts to build hotel near new Suntrust Park
The Omni Atlanta Northwest Hotel will feature 16 floors with 260 guest rooms and suites, rooftop hospitality suites, 12,500 sf of meeting space, a signature restaurant, and an elevated pool deck and bar overlooking the plaza and ballpark.
Hotel Facilities | Apr 29, 2015
OMA unveils design for the Netherlands' largest hotel
Once completed, and if approved, the structure will add three stacked cubes to the Amsterdam skyline.
High-rise Construction | Apr 23, 2015
Size matters in NYC, where several projects vie for the city’s tallest building honor
The latest renderings of 217 West 57th Street show a tower that would rise higher than the World Trade Center’s pinnacle, when elevations are included.
High-rise Construction | Apr 22, 2015
Architects propose sustainable ‘vertical city’ in the Sahara
Designers aim to make the 1,476-foot tower sustainable, relying on rainwater collection, solar power, and geothermal energy.